Final event in Milan with creative contest awards
The third edition of Factor J, the project developed by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and Janssen Italia for Italian high schools, which aims to provide correct information and raise the awareness of youth on responsible behaviour for wellbeing and health, ended today. Factor J has reached out to over 200,000 young men and women through both on-line and on-site session that have involved 26,000 second-degree secondary school students. Moreover, the final event also included the awards ceremony for the “Health of the Future” contest.
RESEARCH
Thanks to the network of schools that have joined Factor J, we launched a research project with the Milan Polytechnic University that witnessed the participation of 460 students aged 14-20 throughout Italy on the meaning of the PNRR and the expectations of youth for the plan. . The data indicates that 70% of students were not aware about the details of the PNRR. Once informed, nearly 50% identified research and health as priorities, followed by the ecological transition, digitalisation, competitiveness and culture. These general values indicate an attitude of trust in research and interest in science. The majority believes that the medicine of the future must, above all, be technologically advanced to provided efficient, custom-tailored solutions. According to the interviewed panel, a proactive, capillary action in favour of prevention and fairer access to cure must be promoted, providing more specialists and health workers.
"In my role as Delegate for Diversity and Inclusion, I am particularly happy about the university’s participation in this project that is based on sharing values such as attention for the new generations and their active involvement in prominent issues, in which we also strongly believe,” declared Mara Tanelli, Delegate of the Rector for Diversity and Inclusion, Polytechnic University of Milano.
“I would like to express profound appreciation and admiration for this third edition of Project Factor J – More Trust, More Health, More Future. You have chosen to work alongside schools to promote and drive high school students’ trust in the future and to stimulate their passion, determination and will to build a better future, in health, also thanks to scientific progress. For our Region, this alliance with the solid social network of non-profits, public institutions, and private organisations is a strategy to guarantee the success of the courses and concretely help out patient associations. Solidarity is our community’s backbone. The Regione Lombardia provides daily services to its citizens, helping out with their needs and aspirations. We know that we will improve everyone’s life only with the help of the new generations and develop shared and sustainable progress,” declared Elena Lucchini, Family, Social Solidarity, Disability and Equal Opportunities Councillor, Regione Lombardia.
FACTOR J
After having organised 14 events, including in Turin, Palermo, Padua, and Rome, to raise student awareness and allow for discussion, today’s event in Milan marks a further opportunity for interaction with youth about the future, new opportunities and innovation with various subjects from the world of schools, scientific research, and institutions.
“In recent decades, the progress of science has been increasingly evident in many therapeutic areas. It has led to an evident improvement in the life quality and expectation of millions of patients, changing the course of diseases that were, until very recently, mortal,” points out Mario Sturion, CEO, Janssen Italia. “At Janssen, we are ready to continue speaking to all actors in the system and, above all, with institutions and developing strategic partnerships with different realities to contribute to the development of a healthy country through scientific innovation and commitment to the new frontiers of healthcare, such as precision medicine that will guarantee great benefits to patients and the entire system.”
And it is exactly to drive trust in the future and in the choices necessary to make the future healthier that Project J was conceived, a project that looks to the new generations and aims to bring young men and women closer to science and stimulate their passion and will to build a healthier future.
THE CONTEST
The event was also an opportunity to announce and present awards to the winners of the Factor J contest that involved 500 students from 42 Italian schools on the concept of “Health of the Future.” The students worked on projects involving podcasting, storytelling, graphics and videomaking to develop communications campaigns with the skills they learned in practical sessions throughout the school year.
“The multi-sector network behind Factor J worked on keeping the focus on the concepts of research and health. Many different actors joined in this effort, including local institutions and schools throughout Italy, which I would like to thank for being present here today. I would also like to underline the role of professionals from Janssen that shared their competences, experiences and inspiration in the local events, interpreting knowledge volunteering in a very original way,” declared Mirta Michilli, Director General, Fondazione Mondo Digitale. "For us, this project was very important. It aimed to humanise not only research, but also disease, to increase attention to preventions, make cures more comprehensible to students, and help develop an aware and constructive behaviour to illness.”
The event was also an opportunity to announce and present awards to the winners of the Factor J contest that involved 500 students from around Italy. Twelve nominations in four categories (Podcast, Video, Graphics and Writing - 3 teams per category) were selected from 50 projects submitted by 60 teams.
The Jury of excellence was composed by: Paolo Iabichino, advertising writer and Creative Director; Andrea Farinet, President, Fondazione Pubblicità Progresso; Federico Taddia, radio and TV author and show host – as communications experts – and Stefania Vallone, Secretary General, Walce Onlus and Andrea Tomasini, National APMARR councillor, as representatives of the network of patient associations that have promoted Factor J since its first edition. The jury announced the four winners of the 2023 contest.
PODCAST
Team Sport Zeitung Ruhr TV – members: Andrea, Marta, Serena, Valerio, and Michele, Liceo Plauto - Rome, for raising awareness on oncological diseases through the description of personal experiences of sports figures explaining fears and emotions.
SHORT STORY
Team 3BTLC – members: Samuele, Marco, and Alessio, IIS Giorgi – Milano, for Project “Io ti ricordo” addressing the stories of those living with Alzheimer’s patients.
VIDEO
Team “Pillole di consapevolezza” – members: Greta, Serena, and Greta, Istituto Maria Immacolata - Gorgonzola, for raising awareness on the issue of oncology through patient and caregiver experiences.
GRAPHICS
Team G.E.M.M.A – members: Martina, Eleonora, Alice, Giada, and Milena, Istituto Fardella Ximenes - Trapani, for having best addressed the issue of raising awareness on HIV and AIDS.
The winners receive the opportunity to follow educational courses on the Feltrinelli Education Platform based on the four contest categories and discuss podcasting, videomaking, storytelling and graphics with Feltrinelli authors.
